Let's Go Back
by Such a little thing
Summary: Two girls go back in time to the age of the Titanic. There, one falls for the shipbuilder, Thomas Andrews. But Ismay does not wish it so. Plz r&r.
1. Prologue

Author's note: I begin this fanfiction after having finished reading  
another very good fanfic. This fanfic has been in my mind for years, yet  
there was never any beginning in mind. And there was never any passion.  
Reading "My affair with the Master Shipbuilder" by FordTruckGirlTA gave  
me that passion. When her story got to the part where Thomas says  
goodbye, I burst out crying, and didn't stop crying until I started  
writing this fic. That is what a good fanfiction is supposed to do to  
you. Make you sit on the edge of the seat, and when the sad part comes,  
you are supposed to cry. I hope to god that I am able to create as good a  
fanfic as she did. Even though with my fic, I see Thomas Andrews played  
by Victor Garber, it will be mostly through the eyes of the real Thomas  
Andrews. He is a man to be worshiped, for he made a ship so grand, even  
through the many premonitions he had, and went down nobly with the ship.  
Sadly, I am unable to say the same for J. Bruce Ismay, who gave in to  
cowardice at the last moment and climbed into Lifeboat C. As you can see,  
I do not like Mr. Ismay much. I will not show him favour in this fic.  
Part of the favour is towards William Murdoch. But the main favour lies  
in the hands of Thomas Andrews, forever and always.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Let's go back  
Back to the beginning  
Back to when the earth, the sun, the stars all aligned  
'Cause perfect didn't feel so perfect  
Trying to fit a square into a circle  
Was no life  
I defy!  
Let the rain fall down  
And wake my dreams  
Let it wash away my sanity  
'Cause I wanna feel the thunder  
I wanna scream  
Let the rain fall down  
I'm coming clean, I'm coming clean"  
¬Hilary Duff- Metamorphosis  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	2. Chapter one Discovery

Chapter One- Discovery  
  
Rosalyn Anaru was cleaning up the dishes from her and her friend  
Ripley's dinner. They had just eaten what seemed like every box of  
Macaroni and Cheese there was in the house. She couldn't help it. She was  
an addict.  
  
Rosalyn was silently going over figures in her head. They weren't  
figures for a science project or math. They were for the R. M. S.  
Titanic. That was one of the many fancies in her seventeen-year-old life.  
She had loved the Titanic since she was seven years old, and it didn't  
show any signs of waning. She prided herself on knowing more about the  
ship than most people. She still had a lot more to go to reach the goal  
of her idol, Thomas Andrews Jr. Being the builder of the ship, she was  
obviously jealous. Yet she had no time to waste. Ripley was upstairs and  
was not prone to waiting.  
  
Her head shot up as she heard the doorbell ring. Even though she  
wasn't supposed to open the door, she looked out the window. Standing at  
her door was a man who looked like he belonged to a Technicolor UPS  
company. Rosalyn was puzzled. It was nearly nine o'clock at night. UPS  
didn't deliver that late. She opened the door carefully.  
  
"Yes, sir?" she asked tentatively.  
  
" I have a package for a Ms. Rosalyn Anaru. She live here?"  
  
Rosalyn signed the papers to collect her package. She brought it  
inside and took it up to her room. Opening her door, she saw Ripley was  
sitting on her bed reading. How typical.  
  
"Hey Rip, check out what I got. I wonder what it is.." Rosalyn  
remarked to her friend.  
  
"Open it already," Ripley replied. "What if it's a time-opened special  
package that must be opened by a certain time, or else it goes bad?"  
  
Rosalyn thought of this and opened the package. Inside was a small box  
the size of a TV remote. There were a total of four buttons on it. One  
said GO, and the others said 'First, Second, Third'. Underneath the odd  
box was a note. It simply said:  
  
Rosalyn Anaru,  
This little machine will make all of your dreams come true. Use it  
wisely.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
There was no signature at the bottom. That was strange. Usually people  
signed their names at the bottom if it was a gift.  
  
"I wonder what it is for."Ripley remarked.  
  
"Me too.." Rosalyn replied.  
  
"Maybe it's a bomb and once we touch one of the buttons, it blows up  
in our faces?!" Ripley suggested.  
  
Rosalyn laughed and eyed the buttons. She could see that at the very  
bottom of the device it was stamped with the year 1912. Rosalyn was  
puzzled. Something like this could have never have been made back then.  
They were barely aware of movie theaters, let alone something like this.  
  
"Maybe it's a game! Press one of the buttons and see what it does."  
Ripley suggested.  
  
"Sure. Then we will really find out if it is a bomb." Rosalyn said  
rolling her eyes.  
  
Nonetheless, she pressed the "First" button and hit go. Nothing  
happened for a moment, but once it did, both Rosalyn and Ripley were  
scared. Their whole background changed. They were speeding though a blur  
of colors, until it came to a stop.  
  
When Rosalyn and Ripley finally opened their eyes, they were in the  
back of a very old car. Rosalyn dated it back to the late 1910's. There  
was a driver in the front seat, and he seemed to be driving them  
somewhere. The roads weren't even paved, both of the girls noted.  
  
"Excuse me sir," Rosalyn asked, tapping the driver on the shoulder.  
"May I ask where we are going?"  
  
The driver turned his head slightly and replied, "To the Southampton  
docks miss. You don't want to miss your voyage, do you?"  
  
They just sat back and watched as they zoomed along. They figured that  
they shouldn't be asking any more questions.  
  
A short time later the driver pulled up to the dock. Rosalyn looked  
out the window and gasped. Sitting in the water before her was the "Ship  
of Dreams", the ship of her dreams. The R.M.S Titanic. She should have  
known when the driver mentioned Southampton. Then again, the Titanic has  
been two miles below the ocean for nearly ninety-two years.  
  
"Um." Ripley started. " I thought this ship sank."  
  
Rosalyn was too stunned to say anything. She couldn't believe that the  
Titanic was right before her eyes. The automobile and the non-paved road  
told her that it was the original.  
  
The car pulled up closer to the dock and stopped. The driver got out  
and opened the door, holding out his hand. Rosalyn took it and got out.  
Ripley followed shortly after. Rosalyn turned to thank the driver, but he  
was already leaving. She recognized him as the man from the UPS truck.  
  
" Hey!" She exclaimed, but no one heard her.  
  
The bell boys asked where the trunks should go. For some reason she  
replied to take them to staterooms A-34 and A-32. She didn't know why she  
said it, but she did.  
  
In a flash she remembered they needed tickets to get them onto the  
ship. She checked in the pockets of the coat she was wearing. Nothing.  
Finally she checked in the small purse that she was carrying, and found  
the two tickets. They walked as elegantly as they could up to the first  
class plank and handed the steward the tickets.  
  
" Welcome to the Titanic, Ms. Anaru and Ms. DeArmitt. Have a pleasant  
trip." The steward said as he checked the tickets.  
  
Ripley eyed Rosalyn but said nothing. How their names got on the  
tickets, how they got the tickets was a mystery.  
  
They walked in and looked around. They had no idea how to get to their  
stateroom. They patted the shoulder of a member of the crew.  
  
"Excuse me sir, but how would one get to staterooms A-34 and A-32?"  
Rosalyn asked the man.  
  
"You go up the grand stairwell and go to your right. Go up that flight  
of stairs and back. It's not too hard to miss. Would you ladies like me  
to escort you to your rooms?"  
  
Rosalyn nodded and said, "My name is Rosalyn Anaru. This is my friend  
Ripley DeArmitt. Please feel free to call us Rosalyn and Ripley. We both  
hate the 'Miss' stuff"  
  
Ripley nodded behind Rosalyn. The man laughed and started walking.  
  
"My name is Will Murdoch. I am the first officer on the Titanic. Please  
call me Will." Will said with a smile.  
  
Rosalyn smiled back.  
  
"Do you know the story of the passengers and crew of the Titanic?" he  
asked them.  
  
They both shook their heads.  
  
"Well," Will started. "From what I can tell, you weren't born anywhere  
near nineteen twelve. But you have obviously heard the story of what  
happened on April 14, 1912. The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank the next  
morning. Since that day, the passengers and crew were forced to relive  
the five days of the journey over and over again. The really painful  
thing is that we remember every journey. How many years has it been since  
the disaster?"  
  
Rosalyn looked at him sorrowfully and replied, "Ninety-two years."  
  
Will shook his head. " We have been forced to relive the same five days  
for ninety-two years. And we probably will for eternity. You are the  
newest faces we have seen since the journey started."  
  
Rosalyn smiled and said nothing. Will continued to walk them to their  
staterooms. Once they got there, he turned to Rosalyn.  
  
"May I escort you to dinner tonight, Rosalyn?" he asked.  
  
"Sure." Rosalyn replied. "But I ask one thing in return."  
  
"Name it." Will replied.  
  
"Is there any way I can get a tour from either Captain Smith or Mr.  
Andrews?" she requested.  
  
Will nodded and bowed. "It shall be done"  
  
He turned with a wink and left. Ripley smirked and walked to her  
stateroom. Rosalyn looked at the number on her door. A gold-plated A-34  
was the only thing to be seen. She opened the door slowly and nearly  
passed out.  
  
The room was delicately done in wood. It looked like maple. The floor was  
covered with lush carpeting, and the furniture was done in all oak. The  
whole room looked like a room right out of a fairy tale. To her left was  
a door. Rosalyn tentatively walked towards it and opened it. On the other  
side was the actual bedroom. The bed was about the size of a queen bed,  
and there was a vanity table, fully equipped with mirror. She could see  
that her trunks were already in the room. She unloaded them, humming "My  
heart will go on", the theme song to James Cameron's Titanic.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
By the time Will came to escort her to dinner, Rosalyn had brushed her  
wavy red hair out of her face and slipped into a forest green dress. She  
had Ripley come over to help with the corset, which she actually found to  
be quite comfortable. She helped do Ripley's corset, and pulled back  
Ripley's long and curly red hair. Ripley decided on a black and red  
outfit, which seemed to come right out of a vampire/gothic movie. Around  
both of their necks was a matching Celtic knot, a symbol of their  
friendship.  
  
At last, there came a knock at the door. Standing there, decked out in  
his full officer uniform, was Will. He held out his arms for both ladies  
to take, and escorted them down the grand staircase and into the dining  
hall.  
  
At the sight of the dining hall, Rosalyn nearly fainted. She could see  
all of the first class passengers there, talking as if they didn't know  
what would happen in five days. She made a mental note to fulfill her  
time on the Titanic with meaningful moments. Will had escorted them to a  
table near the middle of the room. It was half-full of people already.  
Will pulled out a seat across from a man in his late 30's, with chestnut  
hair sprinkled with grey. He was holding a little black notebook, and was  
making a sketch in it.  
  
"Hey!" Rosalyn exclaimed. "Aren't you Thomas Andrews, the builder of the  
ship?"  
  
The man looked up and smiled, "That I am. What do you think of her?"  
  
"Oh, she's so lovely! I, of course, have loved her for quite a few years  
now, and it has been my dream to come and visit her, and you!. I cannot  
tell you how much I have studied your drawings on the Titanic. You are an  
artist, Mr. Andrews. A true artist!" Rosalyn said exasperatly.  
  
Thomas Andrews blushed and shut his notebook, studying Rosalyn as she  
turned to talk to Will. He had noticed her get on the ship. Everyone did,  
there were the same people coming aboard every time. This was a first  
timer. He marveled at her beauty. She had fair skin sprinkled with  
freckles; deep, expressive turquoise eyes, that altogether clashed with  
her red hair. Her hair reminded him of the paint on the Titanic's hull.  
They were about the same shade.  
  
Then, everyone turned their heads to see a man with a mustache come. He  
was tall, with greasy, slicked back hair. Rosalyn knew him from pictures.  
He utterly disgusted her. He was J. Bruce Ismay.  
  
"Well, well, well, what have we here? A new passenger to the Titanic. I  
am Bruce Ismay. You are?" Ismay said, kissing her hand.  
  
Thomas couldn't help but be jealous as Rosalyn replied, "Rosalyn Fae  
Anaru."  
  
Ismay smirked and sat down, never taking his eyes off of Rosalyn. She  
could feel his stare drilling a hole into her head, but ignored it. She  
instead talked to Thomas.  
  
"Well, Mr. Andrews, this is indeed a fine ship. But I was on the deck  
today, and counted the lifeboats. According to my figures, twenty  
lifeboats is far too little to hold the Titanic's maximum capacity of  
three thousand passengers. Is this correct?"  
  
Thomas looked down at his hands, and then back up into those deep eyes.  
"Yes, you are correct. I had made the davits on the Titanic so they could  
hold another row of lifeboats, an amount capable of carrying all of the  
passengers, but it was thought that the deck would look much too  
cluttered, so I was overruled."  
  
With those last words, he looked angrily at Ismay, who was still  
preoccupied with Rosalyn. When Ismay finally broke his stare, he looked  
at Thomas for a brief instant.  
  
"Ms. Anaru, do you not think that we have enough on an unsinkable ship? I  
mean, we are full steam ahead, we would obviously be able to see anything  
in our path." Ismay said, turning back to Rosalyn.  
  
"Well, you can never have too many. You know as well as I do that this  
ship is going to sink. Why are you so arrogant?" Rosalyn asked.  
  
" Arrogant? My dear, that is why ladies do not work in a shipyard. They  
assume too much. They are too uneducated." Ismay said back.  
  
"Too uneducated? Apparently you don't work directly in the shipyard  
either, Mr. Ismay. You just sit on your fat arse while Mr. Andrews does  
the work for you. How asinine."  
  
She pushed her seat out and stormed out. Will followed her. Once he got  
on the deck, he could see her at the bow. She had her elbows on the  
railing, and was leaning slightly forward.  
  
"Hey." He said, trying not to get her angry again.  
  
"How stupid do they get? Full steam ahead. You would think he had at  
least some common sense." She replied, shaking from the cold.  
  
Will walked up to her and placed his jacket around her. He could see in  
her hands she had a picture of Andrews. He backed away slightly. So  
that's who she was trying to prove her worth to in there. Andrews.  
  
"You like him, don't you?" Will asked, pointing to the picture.  
  
Rosalyn nodded and said nothing. She stood up, thanked Will, and walked  
slowly away. Will could see Andrews and Ripley walk out of the dining  
room. They walked swiftly up to Will, questioning him with their eyes.  
  
Will said nothing to Andrews but, "I envy you."  
  
Will walked back towards the captains quarters, awaiting his orders.  
Thomas and Ripley looked at each other.  
  
"She came here for you, you know." Ripley said, turning away and heading  
back towards her stateroom.  
  
Thomas stood there, stunned. He liked her. Not only for her looks, but  
for her guts. It takes someone an immense amount of courage to stand up  
and say something like that to the owner of the White Star Line. He could  
also tell that Will liked her too. He could see the hurt in his eyes as  
he said the three words.  
  
"I envy you.." Thomas muttered into the night.  
  
Oh stop it already! Thomas thought to himself. One of them has got to be  
lying. Why would she like me, when she could easily have Will. You can't  
fall in love with her. You don't deserve her. Not in a hundred years.  
  
Thomas' shoulders slumped as he walked off. He walked silently to his  
stateroom to think about this new discovery.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	3. Chapter two Facing your fears

Chapter Two: Facing your fears  
  
Rosalyn sat in her stateroom the next day, brushing her hair. It fell in  
delicate curls about her shoulders. She always loved the way her hair  
fell. It seemed to fit her. She liked that.  
  
A knock came at the door. Rosalyn stood up and answered it. Of course it  
was Ripley. She always was awake all night.  
  
"Come on, its breakfast, and then we need to go and watch the sunrise on  
the bow," Ripley commented.  
  
Rosalyn looked at her clock. Five o'clock! She thought it was much later.  
She went over to the closet and picked out a dress that was sea green, to  
match her eyes. Ripley helped her get into the dress, and rushed her to  
do her hair. That took about ten minutes. Ripley rushed her out the door.  
  
Rosalyn was afraid to go to breakfast because she didn't want to run into  
Thomas or Will. The walk down was uneventful, but once they got to the  
dining room, they saw both of them there.  
  
Rosalyn and Ripley acted as if they weren't there. Thomas was bent over  
his blueprints, and Will was talking to Captain Smith.  
  
"You do remember that we are supposed to get a tour from Andrews today,  
right?" Ripley reminded her.  
  
"Oh. Well, I guess I'll skip breakfast then. I don't want to go on the  
tour. Not after last night." Rosalyn replied.  
  
"Relax," Ripley said with a smirk. "They're just boys. We both know it's  
Thomas you want, and I've seen the way he looks at you!" Her smirk  
widened to a grin. "So you can either hide, or have what you want."  
  
Rosalyn chose to hide. She walked right through the dining room right to  
the bow. She didn't want to face either of them yet, and she didn't want  
to miss the sunrise. Ripley followed her out a second later.  
  
"Hey," Ripley started. "Andrews saw you, and he wants to talk to you. He  
said he'll be out in a second."  
  
"Ripley, I can't do this." Rosalyn started. " I can't fall in love with  
him."  
  
Ripley pulls Rosalyn into a hug and said, " There there now. Things can't  
go bad if you both feel the same way. You'll regret it the rest of your  
life if you run."  
  
"But I have to." Rosalyn said.  
  
Ripley nodded as she understood. As Thomas Andrews came out of the dining  
room, Rosalyn ran. Thomas shoved his blueprints into Ripley's hands, and  
ran after her.  
  
Chasing her down the first class deck, he realized that she was a good  
runner. He watched as she threw open a door to the right and ran down the  
stairs. Knowing the ship, he knew that the door went down to the hold. He  
followed her through the door and down the steps. Once he got to the  
bottom, he searched around for her. He couldn't see her, but there were  
many places to hide.  
  
"Rosalyn!!" he called.  
  
Rosalyn hid behind a stack of crates. She couldn't go out the way she  
came in, so she searched for an exit. Seeing one on the other side of the  
room, she crept slowly to it. Trying not to make a sound, she tiptoed as  
quietly in the cloppy shoes she had.  
  
Knowing the only exit from this room led to the boilers, he headed  
towards the door. Too late. She was already running through it and into  
the boiler rooms. She shouldn't be in there. Her dress could catch fire,  
and burn her. He ran faster.  
  
Seeing a ladder, Rosalyn quickly climbed it. Once she got to the top, she  
ran down the hallway to the bow again. She quickly climbed over the rail  
and sat on the very front of the ship, hoping that he wouldn't find her  
there.  
  
Figuring that she obviously loved the bow, Thomas ran in that direction.  
Once he got there, he saw her sitting on the piece for the rope to hold  
up the crow's nest. He walked quietly towards her. Once he got there, he  
leaned on the railing so she would have no way out.  
  
"Hi." He said suavely.  
  
Rosalyn's heart skipped a beat. She had hoped he wouldn't find her.  
Making a mental note not to hope anymore, she held onto the wire in front  
of her and turned around, facing her hunter.  
  
"Nowhere to run." She said, noting that he was out of breath.  
  
He laughed and replied, " 'Fraid not lass. Why did you run?"  
  
" That's for me and Ripley to know and no one else." She said, for fear  
of him finding out that she liked him.  
  
" Are you afraid of me?" He asked tentatively. He never thought of  
himself coming off as scary.  
  
"No." she said defiantly. " I just didn't want to face anybody. And I'm  
feeling ill, so I ask you to move."  
  
Thomas stayed firmly in place. He let a small smirk come across his face.  
Now he would figure out if they were telling the truth.  
  
" Only if you will go to dinner with me tonight." He said.  
  
" I already have a dinner date, thank you." She said.  
  
Thomas laughed. "Who? Will is on duty tonight, and the only one I've seen  
you speak to is Ismay."  
  
Rosalyn shivered at the sound of his name. Seeing her reaction, Thomas  
put his hand out for hers. She took it reluctantly, not knowing if he was  
gonna pull her over or kiss it. Apparently the first was correct.  
  
"Please have dinner with me. I beg you." Thomas said, looking down.  
  
Rosalyn looked at him, and then smiled. She quietly walked off. She could  
tell he was trying to decide if she was gonna run, or what. She just kept  
on walking, through the first class dining room and on. She walked with a  
smile on her face until she got to her room, closing the door gently  
behind her. Thomas, dumbstuck at what to do, walked past her room and  
into his.  
  
Closing his door tightly, he walked to his desk and sat down, trying to  
concentrate on his blueprints. Ripley had put them there after the  
flinging of them into her arms.  
  
After about fifteen minutes of trying to concentrate and failing, he  
stood up and walked out into the hall way. He stopped momentarily at  
Rosalyn's door. He knocked.  
  
"Who is it?" came Rosalyn's voice from inside.  
  
"Thomas Andrews." Thomas said. "I am scheduled to give a tour about now."  
  
Actually, he was two hours early, but he hoped that she wouldn't notice.  
When he heard a faint "come in", he walked in. Closing the door quietly  
behind him, he then turned to face the room.  
  
It was nicer than he had designed it. All around were drawings and  
photographs of various phases of the Titanic. There were also pictures of  
a ship similar to the Titanic with rust all over it. Apparently, these  
were pictures of the ship at the bottom of the ocean. Hanging over the  
fireplace was a copy of the picture in the smoking room, "The journey to  
a new world." He had always liked this picture.  
  
Hearing a knock, he turned around. In walked Ripley, all dressed up and  
ready for a walk on the deck. He shockingly realized that if Rosalyn  
weren't here, he would have immediately fallen for Ripley. But, Ripley  
was too spunky and independent for him. To him she seemed like a free  
bird, ready to kill anyone who tried to lock her up. Hearing another  
sound, he turned once again. He was getting rather dizzy from all the  
turning.  
  
Stepping out of the actual sleeping room came Rosalyn. She looked very  
pretty, in a mint-green dress that clung to her figure until it came to  
the skirt. The sleeves got bigger at the elbow, looking vaguely like the  
dresses he remembered back in Ireland.  
  
"I thought that when I left Ireland, I would have seen the last of her.  
Looking at you fine ladies, I see the very beauty and grace of Ireland  
shining brightly right on this ship." He said to both.  
  
Rosalyn blushed while Ripley just grinned. She knew that the comment was  
mainly meant for Rosalyn, but she took her part. She always felt that she  
wasn't pretty, but not ugly either. Despite Rosalyn's attempts to make  
her see differently, she stood firm on her decision. Nonetheless, she did  
try to make her waist-length curly red hair look its best. Not that she  
cared what anyone else thought.  
  
Thomas, trying to take his eyes off of Rosalyn, asked both the ladies,  
"So, where would you like to start first?"  
  
Ripley stated, "I would like to see the stern first."  
  
" The bow. Or the engine room. Or the swimming pool." Rosalyn replied.  
  
Ripley rolled her eyes. Being a Pisces, Rosalyn was naturally attracted  
to water. But Ripley always liked fire. The boiler rooms would make her  
happy.  
  
Thomas laughed. "How about we start here, then work our way aft, slowly  
going up. I would prefer not to do the engine room due to the loud  
noises. But the others are perfectly fine."  
  
He held his arms out for both ladies. He showed them the entire ship.  
When they got to the swimming pool, Ripley and Rosalyn got into an  
argument.  
  
" He does not like me!" Ripley stated.  
  
"Yes he does!!" Rosalyn replied in a singsong voice, lightly bapping  
Ripley with her hip.  
  
Thomas, being a smart man( one of the rare ones), left himself out of  
this conversation, though he was listening.  
  
"No he doesn't!" Ripley yelled.  
  
Bumping Rosalyn a little too hard with her hip, Rosalyn went flying into  
the pool, clothes and all. Seeing it was only three feet deep, Rosalyn  
stood up and looked menacingly at Ripley. When Ripley finished laughing  
her arse off, she walked over to help Rosalyn out of the pool. When she  
had a firm grip, Rosalyn pulled Ripley in, laughing the whole time.  
  
Thomas looked on with a mixture of emotions. He didn't know whether to be  
shocked or to burst out laughing. He decided to settle on helping the  
both of them out.  
  
"You two are very odd.." He said to Ripley as he helped her out of the  
pool.  
  
"Thank you." Ripley replied.  
  
Trying to help Rosalyn out, her head landed on a very, um. inappropriate  
spot. Both blushing red, Thomas pulled her up harder and landed her on  
her feet.  
  
"Reminds me of Rob and Lisa." Ripley said, a devious smirk on her face.  
  
" You suck." Rosalyn said, still in Thomas' arms.  
  
Ripley laughed and walked off on her own, leaving Rosalyn and Thomas  
alone in the pool house. They just stood in each others arms for a while.  
Rosalyn looked Thomas up and down. He was drenched.  
  
"You didn't even go in and you're soaked." She said, laughing.  
  
Thomas laughed and pulled her closer. "I like water."  
  
Rosalyn stopped laughing and looked him in his eyes. He seemed to have  
the type of eyes that you could just look in and drown. As he leaned in  
closer, she slowly closed her eyes. Placing his hand on the pack of her  
neck, he lightly kissed her on the lips. As she realized what he was  
doing, she deepened it, slowly moving her hand up his chest to his face.  
They stood there passionately kissing, until they heard an "ahem."  
  
Blushing, they stopped kissing and turned to see Ripley. She was leaning  
against the door frame, with half of her body in the hallway.  
  
"Um, I just thought you might want to know that Smith and Will and Ismay  
are coming." She said, a smirk on her face.  
  
They both let go quickly and half-ran, half-walked to the door Ripley was  
leaning against. All three of them ran back to their staterooms, laughing  
most of the way. After they said their goodbyes to Ripley, Thomas pulled  
Rosalyn into her room.  
  
" Well, that was.interesting." he said, running a hand through his hair.  
  
"Indeed." Rosalyn replied.  
  
Thomas turned to look Rosalyn in her eyes. He loved her eyes so much. He  
took her hand and kissed the knuckles.  
  
"Will you please reconsider joining me for dinner?" Thomas asked.  
  
Rosalyn blushed as she said, "Of course. I would be delighted, but what  
about Ripley?"  
  
Ripley, coming through the door connecting hers and Rosalyn's room said,  
"Ripley is goin' solo. You two have fun. I will see you at the table. The  
whole thing is just to show off."  
  
Thomas turned to Rosalyn and asked, "So I'll meet you at around seven at  
the Grand Staircase?"  
  
Rosalyn nodded as he left. She turned to Ripley and squealed.  
  
"Wow. Did you see that? Did you see him? Wow!" Rosalyn exclaimed, clearly  
hyper.  
  
Ripley just smiled.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
At exactly seven o'clock, Rosalyn walked down the Grand staircase wearing  
a dark blue dress. Ripley, following behind her, was wearing a bright red  
dress. Both of their hair had been done by each other, and was pulled  
up, some curls falling about their shoulders.  
  
Spotting Thomas at the bottom of the staircase with his back to her, she  
walked down as slowly as she could. Ripley just walked past them into the  
dining room.  
  
Once she got to Thomas, Rosalyn covered his eyes with her hands.  
  
Leaning on tiptoe to reach his ear, she whispered, "Guess who."  
  
Thomas took her hands and twirled them above his head, turning himself to  
face her. He let go of her hands and held out his elbow for Rosalyn to  
take. She took it and walked with him into the dining room. Going to  
their usual table, Thomas pulled out Rosalyn's chair, then pushed it in  
as she sat down. Then he seated himself to her left, careful to make  
himself a wall between her and Ismay.  
  
After the last course was served, Ismay started a conversation about the  
classes on the ship.  
  
" I personally think that the third class shouldn't even be on this ship.  
They are nothing but barbarians. They lack charisma. They lack  
cleanliness." He said, running a hand over his greasy hair.  
  
Rosalyn, trying to be as civil as possible, stated, " Well, they do have  
what matter most. They have class and respect for each other. I feel as  
if you could do with a few days down there, Mr. Ismay."  
  
Ismay just smiled and replied, " Well, clearly you hold some favour for  
them?"  
  
Rosalyn smiled and replied, "Yes. As a matter of fact, I am late for a  
date. Thomas, would you like to join me and Ripley in going down to the  
evil third class level and go to a party?"  
  
Thomas, sensing that she had mocked Ismay, said, "Yes, of course. Most of  
the third class are Irishmen, and I am sure to feel right at home."  
  
Thomas held out his hand as Rosalyn stood up. They waited for Ripley,  
then marched out, leaving the rest of the table, save for Molly Brown, in  
shock.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	4. Chapter three Coming closer

Chapter three: Coming Closer  
  
Once they got out of the dining room, Rosalyn, Ripley and Thomas laughed  
out loud.  
  
"Did you see his face?" Ripley asked.  
  
"Yeah!" Rosalyn replied. "He looked at us as if we committed the worst  
sin in the world."  
  
Thomas laughed. In his mind, he knew he would later hear it from Ismay,  
but he didn't care anymore. If he had to choose between Rosalyn and his  
job, he would choose Rosalyn. Then again, there was the problem with  
time. He knew they only had two days left. And he would make sure Rosalyn  
got off the ship before it sank.  
  
Within minutes, they reached the third class dining hall. The music was  
Irish classics, complete with bagpipes and spoons. Most of the chairs and  
tables had been moved to the side, save for a few that were used to hold  
the drinks.  
  
Thomas, forever being the gentleman, got the drinks. He handed one to  
Ripley, one to Rosalyn, and kept one for himself. They raised their  
glasses in a toast.  
  
"To the Titanic!" Thomas said.  
  
"To its designer." Rosalyn said, making Thomas blush.  
  
"To the shocked faces of all the assholes back there!" Ripley cried,  
making everyone laugh.  
  
They clicked glasses and took a gulp. Rosalyn and Ripley took much longer  
gulps than Thomas. He stared at the girls.  
  
"Interesting..." he said.  
  
They all laughed at his comment. A quick tune started up, and Thomas  
looked to Rosalyn to dance. She smiled and he took her hand. Swinging her  
into his arms, he held her close to him. They went with the flow of the  
room as he pulled her around in a quick Irish dance. Ripley just sat  
there laughing as she watched Rosalyn stumble.  
  
As the song ended, Rosalyn and Thomas just stood there, waiting for the  
next song. As "Danny Boy" started up, Thomas pulled Rosalyn even closer.  
They slowly moved around the dance floor. As the song ended, Rosalyn  
passed out.  
  
"Rosalyn?!" Thomas asked, panicked.  
  
Ripley ran over to Rosalyn and patted her forehead with a cloth she  
grabbed along the way.  
  
"She's just passed out." She told Thomas.  
  
He picked up Rosalyn and took her up to her room. Ripley followed, and  
helped him put her in the bed. Thomas turned his back as Ripley took off  
her dress and put her into her nightgown. Thomas sat down next to her and  
took her hand and stayed with her for the rest of the night.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
The next morning Rosalyn woke up to find her hand still in Thomas'. She  
slipped it out gently and tiptoed over to the dresser. Her back to  
Thomas, she got dressed and walked out of her stateroom and headed to his  
room.  
  
She sneaked in with the key he gave her and pulled out the deck plans.  
Silently looking over them, she was trying to figure out a way to change  
the events to come. She was so engrossed in her work that she didn't  
notice Ismay come up behind her until it was too late and he had her by  
the neck and the waist.  
  
"You don't belong here, Missy." He said, deviously.  
  
"Screw yourself, Ismay." Rosalyn hissed back, quickly angered.  
  
"Ah," Ismay started. "Why screw myself when I can easily get you to do  
that?"  
  
As his hands wandered down from her neck to the neckline of her dress,  
she kicked his shins. No one would touch her like that. Not without her  
permission. As he grabbed at his leg, she got away and hid against the  
wall.  
  
"You little whore." Ismay cursed as he ran towards Rosalyn.  
  
Before she could get a scream out, Ismay was upon her and had covered her  
mouth with his handkerchief and pulled out another one and tied her hands  
behind her back. As she struggled, Ismay kept talking and tying, tying  
and talking. About how the fool Andrews didn't deserve a beautiful flower  
like this only to let it get wasted.  
  
"Mmmph. MMMM!!!" Rosalyn muffled.  
  
"A bastard am I now? You might want to save your energy, Missy, because  
no one can hear you. Not even your precious Thomas."  
  
As he held her eyes with a fierce hunger, he took his hands to her  
neckline again and pulled down swiftly. It was at a moment like that when  
Rosalyn was glad that she was wearing a corset. More work, and more time  
for help to come.  
  
As he teared at her corset, Rosalyn had her hands behind her back trying  
to hit the bell for the steward. It was only a few inches away. If she  
could just get Ismay to push her a little bit more...  
  
"You aren't the only one who can have third-class pleasures... I used to be  
one of them... In some ways I still am... GODDAMN THESE CORSETS!"  
  
Rosalyn pushed forward, and to her expectance, Ismay pushed her back  
harder and further, just far enough to hit the call button. Now all she  
had to do was keep Ismay's greasy palms off of her. She squirmed and  
jerked, but he held fast. She hoped her corset could hold just a little  
longer...  
  
Then, to her horror, Ismay pulled out a pocketknife. Snapping it open, he  
sliced up the corset just as the doors burst open and Will Murdoch ran  
in.  
  
"Rosalyn!!" he cried.  
  
Will ran to Ismay and pulled him off. They wrestled to try and gain  
control of the knife. Will, with his sailor's brawn, won and held it to  
Ismay's throat.  
  
"You slimy bastard..." He gasped.  
  
The next people to run in were Thomas, Ripley and Captain Smith. Thomas  
immediately ran to Rosalyn and ungagged her and untied her hands and  
slipped his coat about her arms.  
  
"Are you alright?" He asked concernedly.  
  
Rosalyn did nothing but nod and stare down at Ismay with immense hatred.  
But not as much hatred as Ripley showed. She was murderous. She lunged at  
Ismay and began punching him and taking him by the throat and slamming  
his head against the floor.  
  
"Miss... You really should stop..." Will said without making a move towards  
the two.  
  
Ripley did let up, but sat on his chest so he couldn't move. They waited  
until the Master-at-arms came and put Ismay in handcuffs.  
  
"Miss, are you alright?" a concerned Smith asked Rosalyn.  
  
Rosalyn managed a feeble smile and replied, "Yes, thank you captain. If  
Will hadn't come..."  
  
Rosalyn looked over to a beat-up Will and smiled and looked at him with  
the deepest gratitude. She then walked out of Thomas' grip and hugged  
Will.  
  
"Thank you, Will..." She whispered into his ear.  
  
He hugged her back and kissed her cheek. Then him and Smith and the  
master-at-arms walked out. Once they were out, panic filled both Ripley  
and Thomas.  
  
"Why did you leave without telling me??" Ripley exclaimed.  
  
"Or me! I was right there. You should have told me you were leaving. Or  
Ripley. Or both of us! Can't you think what would have happened if Will  
didn't come when he did?" Thomas cried.  
  
Rosalyn looked Thomas in the eyes and noticed they were watered over.  
  
He's crying because of me...She thought. He was worried...  
  
"I'm sorry..." She whispered. "I wanted to prevent the ship from sinking,  
so I came here to look at the plans. You both don't understand... I love  
this ship... And being on it makes that love only fiercer. Nothing could  
tear me away from this ship. Or you Thomas. I love you both."  
  
Thomas could do nothing but hug her tightly. Ripley left the room to get  
her a new dress and corset. While walking out the door, she noticed Will  
standing in the hall next to the doorway. He was openly crying, and  
Ripley guessed it wasn't just from worry.  
  
"Will..." Ripley started.  
  
"No..." He said, wiping away the tears. "I know you guys told me that she  
came here for him. But I thought... I thought if I just proved myself to  
her, if I showed her that I could take care of her, that she would love  
me. But she came here loving him. She loved him before she even knew  
him..."  
  
Shaking his head, he turned and walked away. Ripley stared after him,  
feeling not only sorry for him, but also something else. Something she  
wouldn't admit to anyone. Not yet.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Later, at dinner, Rosalyn had to deal with everyone asking her about what  
happened. She quickly learned that news quickly spreads through a small  
ocean liner. Trying to avoid most people, she ate and excused herself  
early. As she stood up, Thomas took her hand.  
  
"You want me to come with you?" He asked.  
  
Rosalyn shook her head. "I'll be fine. I'm heading to the bow."  
  
As she walked out to the bow, she stared up at the stars. She imagined  
that this was what it looked like, back then...Or now... Whenever...She walked  
up to the very bow and placed her hands gently on the railing. To imagine  
this at the bottom of the Atlantic was horrifying. She couldn't believe  
that something like this would sink.  
  
Quickly tired of the bow, she walked inside. Deciding to take her anger  
about the ship sinking, she walked to the master-at-arms office.  
  
"Can I help you, Miss?" the master asked.  
  
"I'm here to see Ismay. In handcuffs please. And tied to something."  
Rosalyn replied.  
  
The master-at-arms nodded and walked into the next room. Rosalyn could  
hear him talking to Ismay. Moments later, he came out and nodded,  
signaling that she could go in. Cautiously she walked in.  
  
Tied to a pipe was Ismay. He looked pretty beaten up, courtesy of Ripley  
and Will. His greasy hair was tousled and his shirt was bloody. He looked  
at Rosalyn with a look full of lust.  
  
"Well, look what the cat dragged in..." he snickered.  
  
Rosalyn simply looked at him. "Mr. Ismay, have you ever seen Les  
Miserables?"  
  
"Of course I have!" Ismay said. "Who hasn't?"  
  
Rosalyn ignored his comment and continued. "So you would be familiar with  
the character Javert. You should remember him... Royal pain in the  
ass...Never leaves people alone...ends up losing in the end... Remind you of  
anyone?"  
  
Ismay spat at her feet. She simply smirked. Then her expression went  
solemn.  
  
"Why did you do it?" She simply asked.  
  
"Why not?" He said. "You were there. You entice me. You shouldn't have  
flirted with me."  
  
"Flirted?! I never flirted with scum like you." Rosalyn replied,  
disgusted.  
  
Ismay smirked. "Oh yes, you did. You smiled and gave me your full name. I  
could even see Andrews was jealous. And that's hard to do."  
  
"He needn't be jealous. The only one who should be jealous is you."  
  
"Ah," He started. "That I am. I am insanely jealous. But I tell you this.  
I will have you. No matter when or where, I will have you. That I swear  
on this ship."  
  
Rosalyn looked at him with sincere disdain. "That's were you're wrong  
Ismay. The only one who will ever have me is Thomas. That I swear."  
  
The door opened and Rosalyn turned around. Rushing in was Thomas.  
  
"I thought you said you were going to be at the bow?" He asked  
concernedly.  
  
She looked at him solemnly. "I had business to finish. I'm sorry..."  
  
Thomas took her hand and led her out of the room. They walked without a  
word until they got to his stateroom. He pulled his key out and unlocked  
the door, motioning for her to go in first.  
  
"Thomas..." Rosalyn started.  
  
"Look," Thomas said. "I love you. More than anything else. I know I had  
my wife and my daughter.... But I also know I will never see them again. I  
had accepted that, and I got on with this so-called life. I was content  
with living without anyone else. Then you came. You turned my life upside  
down. And made me fall in love again. I don't know how long it will last,  
but I want to make it last forever. Or as long as we're allotted. I don't  
want to lose you too soon to Ismay. That's why I seem to get so angry. I  
get worried when I don't find you where you said you'd be. When I woke up  
that morning... I just figured that you went for a walk. Then I got the  
call saying someone was in my stateroom, and put two and two together,  
and guessed you'd be in trouble. After that... I didn't, and still don't,  
want you left alone. Whenever I see you elsewhere, I think 'Oh my god,  
does Ismay have her again?'. I don't want to risk you."  
  
He looked down, trying to hide his tears. She lifted his chin and wiped  
them away.  
  
"I love you Thomas. Nothing can stop that. I promise I won't go off  
again. I promise."  
  
He looked down at her with lovingness in his eyes. He pulled her slightly  
closer until their lips touched ever so slightly.  
  
"I love you." Thomas whispered against her lips.  
  
Rosalyn placed her hand on the nape of his neck and pulled him closer. He  
pressed his lips against hers, wanting to drink her in. After a moment,  
he changed the angle of the kiss. Before they got in too deep, he  
separated from her, leaving his forehead against hers.  
  
Rosalyn touched her fingers to her lips, which were still tingling. She  
had never kissed a guy and actually meant it. Not like that.  
  
"We should get some sleep..." Thomas whispered, a breath away from her  
lips.  
  
"Yeah... I'd better go, before Ripley starts to get into the 'Mother  
mode'." She replied regretfully.  
  
"Or...you could spend the night here..." Thomas suggested.  
  
"Are you trying to seduce me?" Rosalyn asked teasingly.  
  
"No..." Thomas replied. "Just because we are sleeping in the same bed  
doesn't mean we're sleeping together. They are totally different..."  
  
Rosalyn laughed. "I guess that should be alright."  
  
He took her hand and led her to the bed and pulled back the covers. He  
laid down, her following. He laid his hand over her waist and pulled her  
closely. His head was placed gently against her head, so she could hear  
him breathing. It was that sound of the man she loved that she fell  
asleep to. 


End file.
